By The Saudi Ministry of Hajj has alerted Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs regarding the increasing number of Pakistani beggars entering the kingdom under Umrah visas. Sources indicate that Saudi authorities are concerned about this trend, which they believe could adversely impact Pakistani pilgrims undertaking Umrah and Hajj.
In response, Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs plans to introduce an “Umrah Act” aimed at regulating travel agencies involved in facilitating Umrah trips, thereby bringing them under legal scrutiny. The ministry has also reached out to the Pakistani government to explore measures to prevent beggars from exploiting religious pilgrimage visas to travel to Saudi Arabia.
During a recent meeting between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Ahmed Al-Malki, Mohsin assured the envoy that strict actions would be taken against the organized networks sending beggars to the kingdom. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been assigned the task of dismantling these networks, which Mohsin highlighted as damaging to Pakistan’s international image.
The issue was underscored by Dr. Arshad Mahmood, Secretary of Overseas Pakistanis, during a Senate Standing Committee meeting. He noted that various Gulf nations have expressed concerns about the behavior of overseas Pakistanis, particularly regarding work ethics and involvement in criminal activities, which are affecting the reputation of Pakistani workers and leading to heightened scrutiny from employers.
Recently, the FIA took action by offloading 11 suspected beggars from a Saudi Arabia-bound flight at Karachi airport after questioning them during immigration checks, during which they admitted their intention to beg in the kingdom.
